April 9 - Happy birthday Steve Gadd.
What, I'm reviewing a drummer? Yes, well, the fact is, great drummers have always excited and inspired me. And all of them respect and admire Steve Gadd. He is, of course, most often heard doing the famous drum riff on Paul Simon's "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, " and the brilliant drum solo on Steely Dan's "Aja."
I heard and absorbed Steve's utterly unique style back in the late 70's from a number of albums by Chick Corea and Al Dimeola that Steve was on.
The song "Nite Sprite," from Chick Corea's Leprechaun album shows that Chick knew what kind of mega-talent he was working with, and gave him some very demanding music to play. Listen to the clip below to hear how Steve rose to the challenge. Awesome, musical and beautiful drumming. http://www.drstevegadd.com/
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Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Influences and Inspirations: Carl Perkins
April 9 - Happy birthday Carl Perkins.
Perkins was one of the earliest, best and most successful in the style known as rockabilly. That makes him one of rock's founding fathers, people. He hung with dudes like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. He scored a massive hit with his song "Blue Suede Shoes," selling more and charting higher than Elvis's later version. I know it might sound quaint and tame today, but you have to listen and imagine, in the bland pop culture of the 1950's, how electrifying it was to hear something like this for the first time. Elvis may have been the superstar celebrity, but Perkins was a genuine musician who influenced and inspired the likes of The Beatles, Eric Clapton and need I say, Brian Setzer. So give some props to an essential early rock icon.
Here's a cool 3-minute mini-documentary on Carl Perkins, with some discussion of his classic song, "Honey Don't."
Blue Suede Shoes, Rock Around The Clock, Roll Over Beethoven - these and other early rock and roll classics had a huge influence on those who followed, and opened the floodgates for generations to express their creativity, their rebellion, the sheer power of youth. Musicians I love, like Clapton, Hendrix and the Beatles, were not shy about paying tribute to their early rock and roll heroes, while at the same time boldly pushing the music forward in new and unexpected directions. For example:
Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart, "Jailhouse Rock," 1969:
and Jimi Hendrix's incendiary live version of "Johnny B. Goode," 1970:
Rock and roll, everybody.
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Perkins was one of the earliest, best and most successful in the style known as rockabilly. That makes him one of rock's founding fathers, people. He hung with dudes like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. He scored a massive hit with his song "Blue Suede Shoes," selling more and charting higher than Elvis's later version. I know it might sound quaint and tame today, but you have to listen and imagine, in the bland pop culture of the 1950's, how electrifying it was to hear something like this for the first time. Elvis may have been the superstar celebrity, but Perkins was a genuine musician who influenced and inspired the likes of The Beatles, Eric Clapton and need I say, Brian Setzer. So give some props to an essential early rock icon.
Here's a cool 3-minute mini-documentary on Carl Perkins, with some discussion of his classic song, "Honey Don't."
Blue Suede Shoes, Rock Around The Clock, Roll Over Beethoven - these and other early rock and roll classics had a huge influence on those who followed, and opened the floodgates for generations to express their creativity, their rebellion, the sheer power of youth. Musicians I love, like Clapton, Hendrix and the Beatles, were not shy about paying tribute to their early rock and roll heroes, while at the same time boldly pushing the music forward in new and unexpected directions. For example:
Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart, "Jailhouse Rock," 1969:
and Jimi Hendrix's incendiary live version of "Johnny B. Goode," 1970:
Rock and roll, everybody.
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Monday, April 8, 2013
Influences and Inspirations: Steve Howe
April 8 - Happy birthday Steve Howe.
It's hard to know where to start when discussing a guitarist whose influence on me has been as huge, and whose best work still inspires me as much as Steve Howe.
Steve Howe was the first guitarist who firmly implanted the idea in my mind that being stuck in one genre was neither interesting or even necessary, but also, that whatever you decide to play, you must do it the best you can and with as much feeling and commitment as you can. Steve played in a rock band with symphonic inclinations, but his big influences were jazz guitarists like Barney Kessel, and country legend Chet Atkins. And he allowed those influences, and others, to show as much as he wanted. Add in some classical, flamenco and ragtime, a penchant for unusual instruments, and a flair for pedal steel guitar, and you have a guitarist with amazing creative energy that was always turning in unexpected directions. This led to him being voted Best Overall Guitarist in the Guitar Player magazine's reader's poll, five years in a row. The only others to accomplish that happened to be two other genre-defying guitar giants, who I also rank among my biggest influences: Steve Morse and Eric Johnson.
For me, as a classical guitar student all the way back to high school, "Mood For A Day" and "Roundabout" were ingrained in my fingers very early on. But I have equally admired his genre-busting creative energy always flowing in so many directions; and his early performances, with their high intensity just-go-for-it vibe, are still riveting.
The song below, "Sound Chaser," from the Relayer album, captures all that for me in one stunning song.
UltimateClassicRock.com has a pretty good "top 10 solos" list for Steve Howe, with some very well written commentary. Click here to read and listen. I concur with most of their choices but would have to add a few others. How about you?
I have happily labored over a great number of Steve's guitar parts for many years, and been blessed with the chance to play a number of Yes songs with my band Hectic Red over the years; most recently we unveiled a Yes medley. I definitely play them in tribute to Steve. http://www.stevehowe.com/
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It's hard to know where to start when discussing a guitarist whose influence on me has been as huge, and whose best work still inspires me as much as Steve Howe.
Steve Howe was the first guitarist who firmly implanted the idea in my mind that being stuck in one genre was neither interesting or even necessary, but also, that whatever you decide to play, you must do it the best you can and with as much feeling and commitment as you can. Steve played in a rock band with symphonic inclinations, but his big influences were jazz guitarists like Barney Kessel, and country legend Chet Atkins. And he allowed those influences, and others, to show as much as he wanted. Add in some classical, flamenco and ragtime, a penchant for unusual instruments, and a flair for pedal steel guitar, and you have a guitarist with amazing creative energy that was always turning in unexpected directions. This led to him being voted Best Overall Guitarist in the Guitar Player magazine's reader's poll, five years in a row. The only others to accomplish that happened to be two other genre-defying guitar giants, who I also rank among my biggest influences: Steve Morse and Eric Johnson.
For me, as a classical guitar student all the way back to high school, "Mood For A Day" and "Roundabout" were ingrained in my fingers very early on. But I have equally admired his genre-busting creative energy always flowing in so many directions; and his early performances, with their high intensity just-go-for-it vibe, are still riveting.
The song below, "Sound Chaser," from the Relayer album, captures all that for me in one stunning song.
UltimateClassicRock.com has a pretty good "top 10 solos" list for Steve Howe, with some very well written commentary. Click here to read and listen. I concur with most of their choices but would have to add a few others. How about you?
I have happily labored over a great number of Steve's guitar parts for many years, and been blessed with the chance to play a number of Yes songs with my band Hectic Red over the years; most recently we unveiled a Yes medley. I definitely play them in tribute to Steve. http://www.stevehowe.com/
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Saturday, March 30, 2013
Influences and Inspirations: Eric Clapton
March 30: Happy birthday Eric Clapton!
It was this live version of Cream playing "Crossroads" that really drew my attention to EC. Being a teenager into hard rock, I was blown away by that performance, and consequently mystified as to why he would ever choose to leave that sound and that hard driving style behind. But really, when you are Eric Clapton, and by 1970 your résumé already includes the Yardbirds, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, a guest shot with the Beatles on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," Blind Faith, Delaney and Bonnie, and Derek and the Dominos, well...how can you top that? And with your reputation already firmly in place as a guitar legend, what have you got to prove?
Perhaps that's what he was thinking, and perhaps he concluded he no longer needed to prove anything, at least not to guitar players. So he became, as Rolling Stone put it, "a dependable hit maker" with an "easy-going commercial style," and achieved massive mainstream success. No arguing with that. But as years go by I have come to appreciate his diversity, and accepted his right to be radio-friendly when he chooses to; and I have come to treasure the blues roots that are always audible.
We should all be grateful to EC for starting up what has become one of the greatest music festivals around, the Crossroads Guitar Festival, in which he generously gives the limelight to other guitar players. I look forward every time a new one is announced, to another amazing lineup of some of the greatest guitarists in the world, some known and some unknown, delivering some of the most exciting yet relaxed performances, spontaneous musical collaborations, and obviously having enormous amounts of fun.
Here's one of my favorites from Clapton's more recent output. Wonderful song, superb production. EC's voice in fine form, and busting out some choice blues licks on his acoustic. Life is good. http://www.ericclapton.com/
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Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Influences and Inspirations: Wes Montgomery
March 6 - Happy birthday, Wes Montgomery.
I came late to Wes Montgomery. I was influenced by those who followed him long before I ever actually got into the man himself. I have loved jazz all my life, but only in the last decade have I truly tried to play it and feel it. To do that, I realized that an appreciation for Wes is essential. He directly influenced such greats as George Benson, Grant Green, Pat Martino, Allan Holdsworth and Lee Ritenour. Pat Metheny has said "I learned to play listening to Wes Montgomery's Smokin at the Half Note." Even amongst his contemporaries, which included such talented guitarists as Johnny Smith, Jimmy Raney,Tal Farlow, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel and Kenny Burrell, Wes was recognized as something special. Fellow guitarist Joe Pass referred to him as one of only three real innovators on the guitar, the others being Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt.
If these names are new to you, consider this an invitation to explore the amazing world of jazz guitar. Go and start listening to some music by every one of these greats. But start and end with Wes. Why?
Why do guitarists as diverse as Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana and Eric Johnson feel such a strong influence from him? Why did Frank Zappa say, "If you want to learn how to play guitar, listen to Wes Montgomery."
The year 1960 was when he first came to public attention, but he was no newcomer. Indeed he was almost 40 years old and had been playing for years before he hit the big time. After a brief run with Lionel Hampton in the late 1940's Wes had been toiling in obscurity in Indianapolis, working a day job, raising a family, and gigging three or four nights a week at local clubs. It takes passionate commitment to voluntarily stay out until 2 in the morning playing club dates, night after night, knowing you will go home, get four hours sleep and then get up and go to your day job. But Wes was not just surviving during this time, he was thriving, growing, maturing. He was developing an amazing technique and a style all his own. Clearly Wes loved what he was doing and was utterly devoted to his music. Watch the short clip below for some great insight into how, in spite of the indignities of segregation, Indianapolis provided a nurturing environment for Wes, a safe haven for him to allow his talent to grow and blossom.
So put on "The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery" and listen. Get past the relatively primitive recording quality and picture the scene. Wes shows up at the studio with a group of musicians, they set up their gear, the producer puts some microphones around, and a few hours later, the record is done. This is the sound of jazz records of the time. You get a sense of being there, hearing exactly what happened on that day: the sound of real people playing music. The tape recorder was just like the fly on the wall, eavesdropping on the moment. There was no studio trickery or post-production magic to sweeten the sound; what they played that day was what went on the record. And what went down that day was so good, it is still considered one of the greatest jazz guitar albums of all time.
Every time I return to Wes, I still marvel at his command of jazz vocabulary, his impeccable rhythmic precision, and his endless melodic inventiveness. On top of all that, there is his tremendous sense of swing, and a laid back, relaxed feeling that underlies everything. He infuses his playing with his unique character - a gentle, fun, relaxed quality that balances out the thoughtful, intense nature that overtakes a lot of jazz.
Then there's the thumb. Watch some video and try to get your mind around how he accomplishes all that with only the thumb of his right hand ever striking the strings.
Wes had the whole package: technical mastery and musical depth, all wrapped up in a warm inviting package that jazz critic Stanley Crouch referred to as "the true welcome." Music has never been more true, or more welcoming, than it was with Wes.
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I came late to Wes Montgomery. I was influenced by those who followed him long before I ever actually got into the man himself. I have loved jazz all my life, but only in the last decade have I truly tried to play it and feel it. To do that, I realized that an appreciation for Wes is essential. He directly influenced such greats as George Benson, Grant Green, Pat Martino, Allan Holdsworth and Lee Ritenour. Pat Metheny has said "I learned to play listening to Wes Montgomery's Smokin at the Half Note." Even amongst his contemporaries, which included such talented guitarists as Johnny Smith, Jimmy Raney,Tal Farlow, Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel and Kenny Burrell, Wes was recognized as something special. Fellow guitarist Joe Pass referred to him as one of only three real innovators on the guitar, the others being Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt.
If these names are new to you, consider this an invitation to explore the amazing world of jazz guitar. Go and start listening to some music by every one of these greats. But start and end with Wes. Why?
Why do guitarists as diverse as Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana and Eric Johnson feel such a strong influence from him? Why did Frank Zappa say, "If you want to learn how to play guitar, listen to Wes Montgomery."
The year 1960 was when he first came to public attention, but he was no newcomer. Indeed he was almost 40 years old and had been playing for years before he hit the big time. After a brief run with Lionel Hampton in the late 1940's Wes had been toiling in obscurity in Indianapolis, working a day job, raising a family, and gigging three or four nights a week at local clubs. It takes passionate commitment to voluntarily stay out until 2 in the morning playing club dates, night after night, knowing you will go home, get four hours sleep and then get up and go to your day job. But Wes was not just surviving during this time, he was thriving, growing, maturing. He was developing an amazing technique and a style all his own. Clearly Wes loved what he was doing and was utterly devoted to his music. Watch the short clip below for some great insight into how, in spite of the indignities of segregation, Indianapolis provided a nurturing environment for Wes, a safe haven for him to allow his talent to grow and blossom.
So put on "The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery" and listen. Get past the relatively primitive recording quality and picture the scene. Wes shows up at the studio with a group of musicians, they set up their gear, the producer puts some microphones around, and a few hours later, the record is done. This is the sound of jazz records of the time. You get a sense of being there, hearing exactly what happened on that day: the sound of real people playing music. The tape recorder was just like the fly on the wall, eavesdropping on the moment. There was no studio trickery or post-production magic to sweeten the sound; what they played that day was what went on the record. And what went down that day was so good, it is still considered one of the greatest jazz guitar albums of all time.
Every time I return to Wes, I still marvel at his command of jazz vocabulary, his impeccable rhythmic precision, and his endless melodic inventiveness. On top of all that, there is his tremendous sense of swing, and a laid back, relaxed feeling that underlies everything. He infuses his playing with his unique character - a gentle, fun, relaxed quality that balances out the thoughtful, intense nature that overtakes a lot of jazz.
Then there's the thumb. Watch some video and try to get your mind around how he accomplishes all that with only the thumb of his right hand ever striking the strings.
Wes had the whole package: technical mastery and musical depth, all wrapped up in a warm inviting package that jazz critic Stanley Crouch referred to as "the true welcome." Music has never been more true, or more welcoming, than it was with Wes.
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Influences and Inspirations: David Gilmour
March 6 - Happy birthday, David Gilmour.
During his years in Pink Floyd, David Gilmour delivered a string of epic, powerful, brilliant performances that established him as an all-time guitar great, indeed coming in at #14 on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists.
"Wish You Were Here," "Comfortably Numb," "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," "Another Brick in the Wall," "Run Like Hell"...and that doesn't even include anything from Dark Side of the Moon.
I consider several of his solos essential for all my students who aspire to play lead guitar, because of their phrasing, bending, vibrato, and his ability to mix from-the-gut blues riffs with well thought out note choices over the chords. I rarely have to suggest it - the songs are usually requested!
Gilmour's diversity is often obscured behind the massive guitar heroics of those songs. His creative use of effects, his tasteful fingerstyle work, the ease with which he integrated funk and blues into the music of what would seem a most un-funky, un-bluesy band. And just for good measure, he was quite proficient at lap steel guitar, which permitted him to add some wonderful parts that contributed immensely to the tracks on which they appear (for example, "Breathe," heard in the clip above). All give evidence of a powerful creative force who took every opportunity to push the boundaries of what was possible within the confines of Pink Floyd.
Here's one of my favorites, "Poles Apart" from The Division Bell. It features a gorgeous finger-picked acoustic guitar part, a graceful and gently building song structure, culminating at 5:17 in a classic Gilmour solo.
Over-arching it all is his tone. Gilmour's approach to his sound has always been in a state of evolution and development, but every step of the way, he has produced guitar tones that are always clear, beautiful, powerful and distinctive.
Gilmour has re-emerged in the last ten years with a superb solo album, On An Island, and a series of tours, documented on two terrific DVDs, Remember That Night and Live in Gdansk. The live performances, especially, exemplify the maturing Gilmour: less notes, deep feeling, huge sound. His tone has become gigantic, and every note is well considered and given space to express its deepest feeling. Case in point: "On An Island." Bonus: Graham Nash and David Crosby on backup vocals!
Gilmour is a great guitarist not content to rest on his laurels - still evolving, still creative and vibrant; a powerful presence we are lucky to have. http://www.davidgilmour.com/
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During his years in Pink Floyd, David Gilmour delivered a string of epic, powerful, brilliant performances that established him as an all-time guitar great, indeed coming in at #14 on Rolling Stone's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists.
"Wish You Were Here," "Comfortably Numb," "Shine On You Crazy Diamond," "Another Brick in the Wall," "Run Like Hell"...and that doesn't even include anything from Dark Side of the Moon.
I consider several of his solos essential for all my students who aspire to play lead guitar, because of their phrasing, bending, vibrato, and his ability to mix from-the-gut blues riffs with well thought out note choices over the chords. I rarely have to suggest it - the songs are usually requested!
Gilmour's diversity is often obscured behind the massive guitar heroics of those songs. His creative use of effects, his tasteful fingerstyle work, the ease with which he integrated funk and blues into the music of what would seem a most un-funky, un-bluesy band. And just for good measure, he was quite proficient at lap steel guitar, which permitted him to add some wonderful parts that contributed immensely to the tracks on which they appear (for example, "Breathe," heard in the clip above). All give evidence of a powerful creative force who took every opportunity to push the boundaries of what was possible within the confines of Pink Floyd.
Here's one of my favorites, "Poles Apart" from The Division Bell. It features a gorgeous finger-picked acoustic guitar part, a graceful and gently building song structure, culminating at 5:17 in a classic Gilmour solo.
Over-arching it all is his tone. Gilmour's approach to his sound has always been in a state of evolution and development, but every step of the way, he has produced guitar tones that are always clear, beautiful, powerful and distinctive.
Gilmour has re-emerged in the last ten years with a superb solo album, On An Island, and a series of tours, documented on two terrific DVDs, Remember That Night and Live in Gdansk. The live performances, especially, exemplify the maturing Gilmour: less notes, deep feeling, huge sound. His tone has become gigantic, and every note is well considered and given space to express its deepest feeling. Case in point: "On An Island." Bonus: Graham Nash and David Crosby on backup vocals!
Gilmour is a great guitarist not content to rest on his laurels - still evolving, still creative and vibrant; a powerful presence we are lucky to have. http://www.davidgilmour.com/
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Monday, February 25, 2013
Influences and Inspirations: George Harrison
Feb. 25 - Happy birthday, George Harrison.
George Harrison's career has so many high points, I have two playlists on my iPod for him: Beatles and post-Beatles. Great guitar work abounds at every point. When I was a young guitarist, it was hard rock and intense technique that captured my attention, but as years have gone by, I have developed a much greater appreciation for George's skills, stylistic diversity, his sheer professionalism. I have always admired his ability to express, through music, his honest and humble pursuit of higher meaning and purpose in life. And most of all, I love his dedication to making great songs, and always placing the guitar in service to making every song the best possible piece of music it can be.
Here's a trailer for the fantastic documentary, "Living In The Material World," essential for understanding this deep and complex man:
I always come back to "Something." It is a magnificent song, and the performance and production as heard on the Abbey Road album show the level of absolute mastery the Beatles had achieved at this point, their final album together. The solo epitomizes George's best qualities. Every guitarist who has tried to play it knows that it is tricky, because it is completely devoid of cliches or typical guitar tricks. George's confidence and skill on the guitar allowed him to go past technique to create a gorgeous solo melody of timeless, haunting beauty. A true classic.
His solo catalog is full of songs that are enriched by such great guitar riffs and solos, including some masterful slide work. For example, check out some of my personal favorites: "Here Comes The Moon," Give Me Love," "Blow Away," "My Sweet Lord," and the wonderful "I'd Have You Any Time:"
And that's just from the "post-Beatles" playlist. This is music to return to over and over, because it comes from the heart, and touches the heart. http://georgeharrison.com/
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George Harrison's career has so many high points, I have two playlists on my iPod for him: Beatles and post-Beatles. Great guitar work abounds at every point. When I was a young guitarist, it was hard rock and intense technique that captured my attention, but as years have gone by, I have developed a much greater appreciation for George's skills, stylistic diversity, his sheer professionalism. I have always admired his ability to express, through music, his honest and humble pursuit of higher meaning and purpose in life. And most of all, I love his dedication to making great songs, and always placing the guitar in service to making every song the best possible piece of music it can be.
Here's a trailer for the fantastic documentary, "Living In The Material World," essential for understanding this deep and complex man:
I always come back to "Something." It is a magnificent song, and the performance and production as heard on the Abbey Road album show the level of absolute mastery the Beatles had achieved at this point, their final album together. The solo epitomizes George's best qualities. Every guitarist who has tried to play it knows that it is tricky, because it is completely devoid of cliches or typical guitar tricks. George's confidence and skill on the guitar allowed him to go past technique to create a gorgeous solo melody of timeless, haunting beauty. A true classic.
His solo catalog is full of songs that are enriched by such great guitar riffs and solos, including some masterful slide work. For example, check out some of my personal favorites: "Here Comes The Moon," Give Me Love," "Blow Away," "My Sweet Lord," and the wonderful "I'd Have You Any Time:"
And that's just from the "post-Beatles" playlist. This is music to return to over and over, because it comes from the heart, and touches the heart. http://georgeharrison.com/
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